Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Things certainly are busier with two kids. Who would have
thought that two kids was twice the work? Then you add in a husband who travels
a lot for work … two dogs … Cub Scouts … summer camps … work … and life, in
general.

Fortunately, we were able to slow down a bit for the Fourth
of July. Although the little man had big fun last year with our water rockets,
he was definitely itching to try his hand at something a little more exciting.

I guess we can chalk that one up to another year older and
another year wiser. Now at 7-years-old, water just isn't as fun as fire.

Because our local municipality has a ban on all things
fireworks, we headed out of town to Grammy Jo and Papa's, where fireworks are
still very much legal.

And the little man did indeed light up the sky – day AND
night.

At first a little timid, the husband started him off with
easy things like smoke bombs.

But another year older and another year wiser, the little
man was eager for the good stuff.

Before long, punk in hand, we had a virtual air strike in
the neighborhood – rockets, parachute men and tanks were being lit and shot
off. Mini dynamites and black cats were exploding around us. And – of course –
there were the Saturn Missiles.

Fortunately for us, the only casualty of the night was
Grammy Jo's mop bucket, which had been on hand (full of water) for safety
reasons. That is, until daddy pulled out the mini dynamites with waterproof
fuses.

And as I looked down at the video baby monitor to see that
little sister was amazingly still sound asleep in her bed, I could only smile
as the little man and the husband shared a laugh and marveled over their defeat
of the mop bucket.

My (extra)ordinary life ...

I grew up in a small(ish) Kansas town. I was the girl with the big dreams of running off to California and becoming a famous journalist. Instead, life happened. I did become a journalist, just not in California ... and definitely not famous. Although it may seem as if my life is ordinary to passersby on the street (and even some of my oldest and dearest friends), I guess I would just have to say that ordinary is in the eye of the beholder. I am currently embarking on my greatest adventure yet - which is shared in this blog. It all started at 8:42 p.m. December 21, 2005. He was 7 lbs, 3 ozs. and had a head full of strawberry blond hair ...